Yahaya Bello: Court adjourns to June 26 for ruling on EFCC’s request to cross-examine witness
Justice Nwite adjourned the hearing after listening to addresses by the prosecution and defence counsels on the prosecution’s move to initially cross-examine the witness, a position that was rejected by the defendant’s Lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN.
At the day’s proceeding and continuation of cross-examination, counsel to the defendant asked the witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, an Internal auditor with American International School Abuja, if he had testified in other courts with respect to the issue of school fees paid by the Bello family to AISA, he answered positively. He, however, said he could not mention the exact courts. Justice Nwite adjourned the hearing after listening to addresses by the prosecution and defence counsels on the prosecution’s move to initially cross-examine the witness, a position that was rejected by the defendant’s Lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN.
At the day’s proceeding and continuation of cross-examination, counsel to the defendant asked the witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, an Internal auditor with American International School Abuja, if he had testified in other courts with respect to the issue of school fees paid by the Bello family to AISA, he answered positively. He, however, said he could not mention the exact courts. He admitted testifying in a similar charge involving Ali Bello but added that he never said anything adversely against former Governor Yahaya Bello just as he had not said anything negative or adversely against him in the instant charge.
Shortly after the defence concluded the cross-examination of the witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, the EFCC’s lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, moved to also cross-examine the Commission’s witness on Exhibit 19. He told the court that he was not re-examining the EFCC’s witness, but cross-examining him because the document was admitted in evidence. The Defendant’s lawyer, however, drew the court’s attention to the fact that the prosecution counsel’s position was unknown to law, in line with the Evidence Act.
